The Table of Contents (TOC) for a book or magazine is a handy navigational device that can help locate information in a document quickly. The TOC in ArcMap also helps locate information in a map document but it is far more useful than its printed counterpart. The TOC is the control center for the map document. Although the same commands are available as menu choices, using menus adds steps and clicks to often-repeated tasks. In addition, many shortcuts for TOC operations use keyboard
or mouse shortcuts. Using the TOC provide immediate access to

Information about data layers

Controls for changing how data is displayed and symbolized

Tools for selecting, labeling, and manipulating data layers and the map in both Data and Layout views

Becoming familiar with TOC functionality will save time and effort when creating, modifying, and navigating a map document.